A significant amount of work and effort has been used to develop force sensing transducers or accelerometers. Generally, an accelerometer is a device for measuring acceleration, or the rate of change of velocity. Traditionally, accelerometer functionality has been achieved by sensing forces due to gravity or acceleration by using proof mass devices located on structures, such as beams or diaphragms, which vibrate or are displaced when a force acts on the proof mass. Measurement of the amplitude and frequency of resulting vibrations is traditionally performed using one of a number of transducer methods including capacitive, magnetic, piezoelectric, optical, or photo-thermal. Accelerometers have been fabricated using silicon micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology.
However, in certain applications it may be desirable to increase the sensitivity and range of measurement that may be achieved by an accelerometer.